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SerenaLuo
ProfessorChristenEnos
ENGW1111:FirstYearWriting
1October2015
InthisessayanalyzinganessayaboutAsianAmericanmentalhealth,Ichosetoanalyze
rhetoricalsituation,audience,thewritersmotivationforwriting,genre,andrhetoricalappeal.I
startedoffonlyanalyzingrhetoricalsituation,audience,andrhetoricalappeal,butthroughthe
peerreviewsIreceivedIwasabletoexpandmyanalysistoincludemoretopics.Althoughboth
ofmypeerreviewersrecommendedthatIincludepersonainmyanalysisoftheessay,Idecided
nottoincludethiselementbecausetherewasnotmuchtoanalyzetonewisecomparedtowriting
piecessuchassatireandhumor.Ithoughtthatmywordcountandenergywouldbebetterusedin
creatingandrefiningmyanalysisoffactorsthathadamuchlargerinfluenceonthearticle,such
asaudienceandrhetoricalsituation.IdidnotuseanoutlinewhenIwrotethefirstdraftofmy
essay,anditmadelifemuchharderformesinceIhadtocontinuallyscrollthroughmydraftto
seewhetherornotIhadrepeatedmyselfinotherparagraphswheneverIwantedtomakeanew
claim.Intheprocessofwritingthisessay,Ivecementedtheideathatmywritingcontinuesto
rambleabit,butIwassurprisedwhenIfoundoutfromtheclassthatmydraftwasactually
relativelywellorganized.OrganizationandtransitionsweresomethingIstruggledwithinthe
past,andIdonotforeseeallofmywrittenworkshavingstrongstructurefromthestart.Ilearned
alotaboutanalyticalessaysandthemainpointstodiscussinthesetypesofworks,andwasable
toanalyzeevidencemoredeeply,gettingbetteratidentifyingthesowhatofeachargument.

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AlthoughIveshownsomeimprovementinmyanalysisandgeneralessaystructuringskills,
thesearestillareasofweaknessthatIwouldliketoworkoninfutureassignments.

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AsiansCanHaveFlaws,Too.TheyJustMightAcknowledgeThemDifferently
Inthepastdecade,awarenessaboutmentalhealthandsuicideawarenesshasincreased
greatlyyouthhealthclasseshavestartedtoincludementalhealthunitsaspartofthecurriculum,
andsomeofthestigmathatcomeswithseeingtherapistsandadmittingtomentalhealthdisorder
haslessened.However,thisisnotthecasewitheverydemographicinAmerica.Inapiecetitled,
AsianAmericansTackleMentalHealthStigma,publishedonWebMD,authorKatherineKam
explainsthewidestatisticalgapbetweenAsianAmericanswhoareinneedofmentalhealth
servicesandthosewhoactuallyforcethemselvestogooutandutilizethoseservices.Many
demographicsofAsianAmericansarestereotypedasbeingquietandsubmissive,andalthough
theyhavebeenvastlyinflatedbymodernsocietyandthemedia,thesestereotypeshaveabasisin
truthAsianAmericansareoftenlessornotatallwillingtorevealtheirownpersonalissues
andopinionstothepublic.Throughheruseofrhetoricalappeal,audienceawareness,choiceof
genre,andknowledgeoftheAsianAmericanmentalhealthsituation,Kamcreatesandpresents
anindepthexplanationofsomeoftheproblemsassociatedwithAsianAmericanmentalhealth
awarenesstoday.
Therhetoricalsituationofthispieceisthatofadialoguethatistakingplaceacrossthe
country,especiallycitiesandsuburbswithhighconcentrationsofAsianAmericans,suchas
alongtheeastandwestcoastsoftheUnitedStates.4.8percentoftheU.S.populationisAsian,
alongwithanadditional0.9percentAsiancombinedwithotherdemographics,andthe
AsianAmericanculturalgroupisthefastestgrowingdemographicintheUnitedStates.
However,thevastmajorityofAsians,especiallyfirstgenerationimmigrants,havedifficulties
withseekinghelpfortheirmentalhealthissuesduetobothculturaldifferencesand

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misunderstandingsinthemedicalfieldaswellassocialstigmasregardingmentalillness.There
isadangerouslackofinformationaboutAsianAmericanmentalhealth,consideringthat
suicideisthefifthleadingcauseofdeathamongAsianAmericans,comparedtothe
ninthleadingcauseofdeathforNonHispanicwhiteAmericansamongwomenaged1524,
AsianAmericanfemaleshavethehighestsuicideratesacrossallracial/ethnicgroups.These
statisticsmakeitabundantlyclearthatAsianAmericansneedsupportwhenitcomestomental
healthissues,andawideraudiencethatwilllistentoandunderstandtheirproblems.
Theinformationcontainedwithinthisarticlecanappealtoawiderangeofpeople.
WebMDisahealthcaresitethatprovidesvaluablehealthinformation,toolsformanagingyour
health,andsupporttothosewhoseekinformationsotheaudiencemayalsohaveaninterestin
eithertheirpersonalhealthorsimplykeepingupwithnewsonhealthrelatedtopics.Thepieceis
suitedforthosewithaninterestspecificallyinAsianAmericanmentalhealthorpeoplewho
knownothingandwanttolearnmoreabouttheissuethisisbecause,asthearticlepointsout,
depressionandsuicideideationmanifestthemselvesverydifferentlybetweenEasternand
Westerncultures.(Kam)Thearticleisalsomeanttoteachothersabouthowtostartrecognizing
signsofmentalhealthillnessinAsians:theculturalandphysicalcuesthatmanifestthemselves
verydifferentlycomparedtothewhiteAmericanstandardthathasbeeninplacefordecades.
SinceKamisawellestablishedjournalist,someaudiencemembersmayhavereachedthis
articlebygoingthroughtheworksshehaswritten.Othermembersoftheaudiencemaybe
teenagersandadultsofAsianAmericanheritagewhorelatetotheissuesthatarediscussedinthe
article:eithertheythemselvesmayhavesufferedfromuntreated,hiddenawaydepression,or
theymayhavehadfriendsorfamilywiththoseissues.

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ItisbecausesomanypeoplehavehadsuchdifficultexperienceswithAsianAmerican
mentalhealththatKamwasdriventowritethispiece.Asajournalist,shespecializesin
coveringhealthandmedicine,(Kam)andrecentlyspentayearworkingonaseriesabout
mentalhealthinadolescentAsianAmericans(ibid).Oneofthemajorissuesingenerating
awarenessaboutAsianAmericanmentalhealthisthatitisaconceptrarelydiscussedinsociety.
Kamquotesapsychologyprofessorinherarticle:Wedidntreallyhavealanguageforeven
understandingwhat(mentalhealth)was,saysChu,aChineseAmerican.Familiesdidntknow
howtospeakaboutit,howtogettreatmentorhelp.(Kam)Throughthecreationofthispiece,
KamisexpandingtheaudiencesknowledgebasewhenitcomestoAsianAmericanmental
healthandputtingwordstofeelingsandstoriesthatmanyAsianAmericanshavefeltbuthave
neverbeenabletoexpress.
Thegenrethatawriterchoosestoexpresstheirideasandopinionsisgreatlyimpactshow
theinformationisreceivedbyreaders.AsianAmericansTackleMentalHealthStigmaisa
formofadvocacyjournalismmorespecifically,itadvocatesforincreasedawarenessaboutthe
issuesofAsianAmericanmentalhealthandforachangeintheAsianstigmathatmentalillness
isweakness.Thearticleisalsoinformative,asitdescribesAsianAmericanmentalhealth
statistics,TheStigmaofBeingCrazy,CulturalConsiderations,andFightingtheShameof
MentalIllness.(Kam)Itinformsthroughbothnumbersandpersonalstories,usingvariedtypes
ofrhetoricalappealtoimpacttheaudience.
Nomatterhowwellwritten,apieceofwritingcannotsucceedinreachingand
influencingitsaudienceunlessitappealstothereadersmind.Kamusestherhetoricalappealsof
pathosandlogostoconvincereadersofwhatsheissayinginthearticle.Theauthorusesthe

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personalstoriesofAsianAmericanswhohavesufferedthroughmentalillnesstoconvince
readersthattheissueisarealonethatneedstobediscussed.KathyKyoungAhKhangandPata
Suyemotobothcontributedtheirstories,andKamreferencestheiranecdotesinmultiplesections
ofthearticle.Theyareseriousstorieswhendescribingheradolescentself,Suyemotosays,I
hadsuicidalideationswhenIwas12.Iremembersittingatmymothersdeskandwritinginmy
journalandlookingoutatthesnowandwonderingwhatitwouldbeliketogooutinthesnow
anddie.(Kam)Thisquote,amongothers,wasusedtostrikethereaderdeeplywhowantsto
imagineatwelveyearoldwantingtokillherself?Bystrikingthereadersemotionsand
inspiringthemtowanttochangethewaythingsareforAsianAmericanteenagers,Kamincites
passioninthem.Theuseofpathosinthisarticleiswelldone,sincethestoriesaredeepbutnot
toomelodramatic,andtheymanagetoinspirereaderstowishforchange.
ThereisnotonlyappealtothereadersemotionsKamusesethostoconvincereadersof
thecredibilityofthearticle.Bycitingmentalhealthstatisticsinthefirstsectionofthearticleand
quotingresearchersinthefield:JoyceP.Chu,PhD.,anassociateprofessoratPaloAlto
University,andCindyH.Liu,PhD.,aninstructoratHarvardMedicalSchool,readersareshown
thattheissueofAsianmentalhealthisonethathasbeenacknowledgedbynotonlypeoplewith
avagueinterestinthesubject,butbyexperiencedprofessorsandresearcherswhohavesoliddata
tobackuptheirclaims.Forexample,LiudescribeshowsomeAsiansfeelmentalillness:Their
mentaldistressisactuallyexperiencedasheadachesordiarrhea.Thatshowtheyredescribing
it.(Kam)Forreadersthatmightnotunderstandwhytheissueneedstobeaddressedina
differentmanner,suchasmembersofotherethnicities,thepresenceofsolidresearchand
experienceillustrateshowtheAsianAmericancultureviewsmentalhealthwouldclearupsome

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confusionastowhyAsianAmericanscantjustseekaidontheirown:theprofessorsprovide
logicalargumentsandmetaphorsfortheaudiencetorelateto.
Itiseasyfornewissuestocometolightinourmediadriven,rapidpacedworld,butthe
challengeinreportingononesubjectcontinuouslyiskeepingtheinformationandthestories
relevanttothereaderafterweeks,months,orevenyears.Byusingavariednumberofrhetorical
methodsrelevancetothecontext,findinganaudiencethatiswillingtolearnabouttheissue,
choosingtherightgenreofwork,andrhetoricalappealKamisabletocreateapiecethatisfull
ofnewinformationthatwillnotdisappearfromourheadsthemomentthenewestmediastorm
takesflight.HercontributionstothedialogueofAsianAmericanmentalhealtharecontinuous
andconsistentlybringnewinformationtoreadersandotherinterestedparties,andwilllikelybe
ofgreatuseinthemanydiscussionsaboutthisissuethatwillsurelycomeinthefuture.

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WorksCited
Kam,Katherine.About.
KatherineKam
.N.p.,2014.Web.30Sept.2015.
<http://katherinekam.com/about/>.
.AsianAmericansTackleMentalHealthStigma.Ed.ArefaCassoobhoy.
WebMD
.
WebMD,19Feb.2015.Web.30Sept.2015.
<http://www.webmd.com/mentalhealth/news/20150212/asianamericansmentalhealth>
.
MentalHealthIssuesamongAsianAmericanandPacificIslanderCommunities.
National
AllianceonMentalIllness
.NationalAllianceonMentalIllness,n.d.Web.30Sept.2015.
<https://www2.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Fact_Sheets1&Template=/ContentMana
gement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=123209>.
2010CensusShowsAsiansareFastestGrowingRaceGroup.
UnitedStatesCensusBureau
.
U.S.DepartmentofCommerce,21Mar.2012.Web.30Sept.2015.
<https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb12cn22.html>.
WhatWeDoForOurUsers.
WebMD
.WebMD,29Apr.2014.Web.30Sept.2015.
<http://www.webmd.com/aboutwebmdpolicies/aboutwhatwedoforourusers>.